Now I could tell you that Anne of Green Gables and several Jane Austen books rank right up there as the best adaptations of books into movies...but that's common knowledge. LOL. So let's take a peak at some classic children's books which I think are also cherished movies!
by Walter Farley
This is a simply fabulous classic book which is perfect for any boy or girl. It's adventure and excitement involving a shipwreck, a deserted island, and the love between a boy and a wild horse. Geared at the 4th-5th grade readers it is perfect for an accelerated reader, or a family read-aloud.
And after you read it, make sure you watch it! The 1979 version with Mickey Rooney can't be beat and will bring you great joy seeing your book come to life!
There are other Black Stallion books which you will enjoy checking out once you are done with this first one!
by Katherine Paterson
Have you experienced the land of Terabithia yet with your children? You will enjoy introducing them to Jess and Leslie as they form their unlikely friendship and create a great land of Terabithia. It's a Newberry Award winner for a reason and it's captured children's imagination for years! Noted as being for 4th-7th grade level readers, it's a joy for your older children to experience on their own, or use it as a read-aloud for the whole family!
And once you are done, let their imagination come to life as they experience the Bridge to Terabithia movie! I was very happy with the way the movie was done as it capture all the beauty of the book! It is a sweet movie, even if the ending is sad.
by Kate DiCamillo
"Being the tale of a mouse, a princess, some soup and a spool of thread..." With that kind of subtitle, why wouldn't you want to investigate this clever tale?! The author of Because of Winn-Dixie does it again in this delightfully intriguing tale about a mouse who is in love with music, stories and a princess named Pea. With a grade level of 2nd - 5th, you can introduce your middle elementary students to a charming tale about unlikely heroes!
I was curious to see how the 2008 movie would translate the book (especially the ending) and though it wasn't a TRUE match (what movie is?) it was a delightful film and the boys enjoyed it! We are actually getting ready to read this book as part of our literature studies, so I will be curious to see how they enjoy the book as they have only experienced the movie thus far.
by Anna Sewell
Black Beauty is more than a story about a horse...but a shifting panorama of life in 19th century England with it's cobbled streets, gentry in their phaetons, horse fairs, harried cabdrivers and election day on London Bridge. The book is written in first person, so the author seem like it's the horse writing it's own life story. You too will be carried away to the 19th century as you experience life as you've never seen it before...through the eyes of a horse. We used this as our first chapter book read-aloud 3 years ago and oh how the boys adored it, even though they were just 6 and 2 years old. "Read more about the horse, mommy!" was the refrain each night. Oh how sad we were when we finished the last page.
Though I grew up watching an excellent animated version, I thoroughly enjoyed the "real life" release of this classic story to film in 1999. Staying true to the book, the movie's narrator is even Black Beauty! It was beautiful to watch this "well-bred and well-born" horse come to life!
by Johann Rudolf Wyss
There isn't much better of a family adventure story than The Swiss Family Robinson! Written from the viewpoint of the father, it's a story about hope, faith, and family! From the ship-wreck to learning how to survive on a desert island, to building the grand tree-house...your family will enjoy the adventure! We will be having this on our literature list this year...I think I even have a lapbook to go with it. I think the boys will enjoy it, especially since they've already watched the movie.
Oh my. What is NOT to love about Disney's movie version of this delightful book? I know it strays pretty strong in some parts of the book, but I forgave it because it's just so much fun!! I love that this is a mom of precocious boys and that littlest of hers...oh how I itched to grab him by his ear and give him what for! LOL! And that treehouse. Sigh. How many of us longed to have one just like it to sleep in? The boys and Love-Of-My-Life said it was one of the things we HAD to go to when we were at Disneyworld last year and we enjoyed it immensely!
by Roald Dahl
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
I'm sure I am not the only one with this quirky book on my list. Interestingly enough, most people are only familiar with the movies, and not the book itself. I hadn't read it until this past year when it was part of our 3rd grade literature. We all loved it and Little Britches always asked for "one more chapter!" Meet Willy Wonka and the inside of his chocolate factory through the witty dialogue and clever illustrations. It's this version that I've linked above that really is the best because of the delightful pen and ink illustrations.
As for movies, we have the Gene Wilder version from 1971 and the Johnny Depp one from 2005. I think they BOTH deserve a watch because each captures something different from the book. In relation to which one is closest to the book...actually the Johnny Depp version is. But don't pick--just share them both! My boys were enthralled with the 2005 version that we watched after completing the book. At some point I will try to get my hands on the 1971 version to let them compare.
There are so many other books I could add...The City of Ember, The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Gone with the Wind, A Bear Called Paddington. All of these had wonderful movie versions to bring them to life!
Books That Were Turned Into Movies Bundle Giveaway!
Hollywood glitz and glamour means nothing without a good story. Some of the places that these block buster movies come from is straight from the pages of our favorite books. This month one lucky entrant will win the Books That Were Turned Into Movies Bundle Giveaway. The winner will receive one copy of each of these storybooks that were turned into movies: The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlotte's Web, and The Gruffalo. So pop some popcorn, jump in your comfy chair, and get ready to enjoy books that were turned into movies this month with the Poppins Book Nook!
Entrants must be 18 years or older and reside in a country that receives U.S. Postal mail. This giveaway is brought to you by the company Enchanted Homeschooling Mom who is owner and founder of the Poppins Book Nook. By entering this giveaway you are also acknowledging that you have read and agree to all of the PromoSimple terms & conditions as well as Enchanted Homeschooling Mom's disclosures found here {http://enchantedhomeschoolingmom.org/disclosures/}.
Just enter the PromoSimple below to win:
Please make sure you check out what the other Poppins Book Nook bloggers shared this month!
Enchanted Homeschooling Mom - 3 Dinosaurs - ABC Creative Learning - As We Walk Along the Road - Brain Power Boy - Chestnut Grove Academy - Embracing Destiny - Every Bed of Roses - Farm Fresh Adventures - Growing in God's Grace - Kathys Cluttered Mind - My Bright Firefly - Peakle Pie - Preschool Powol Packets - Pray Species - SAHM I am - Stir The Wonder - Sunny Day Family - Sweet Silly Sara - Teach Beside Me - To the Moon and Back - Tots and Me - Tree Valley Academy - Witty Hoots
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Have you blogged about books that were turned into movies? Please share them with us here!
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There are few books that I've read that I would love to see turned into movies...The Uglies series, The Inn at Ocean's Edge, any book by Jen Turano, well my list could go on and on...
What about you? What books would you like to see as movies?
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